Chapter 13
Fortunately, the busy hours had passed, so without knowing what was in Lynette’s heart, Sharon pulled her by the hand and introduced someone.
“Lynette, this is my boyfriend, Mason. Mason, this is Lynette, the owner here. Say hello.”
“I’m Mason, Sharon’s boyfriend. I hope Sharon hasn’t been too much trouble.”
When Mason bowed his head slightly in greeting, Lynette instinctively bent her waist as if she had developed a disc injury.
“I’m Lynette. Sharon’s been helping a lot, so things have been easier for me. Ah! Please, have a seat.”
Conveniently, just one seat was empty—and it happened to be across from the regular customer.
Normally, permission should be asked first, but at Ikkeulim (Attraction Café) an unspoken rule had formed long ago: if there was an empty seat, you could sit down without asking. Because the shop wasn’t large, everyone understood and naturally allowed it.
The regular, who had been drinking coffee while reading, flinched slightly when Mason sat down across from him.
“Did I surprise you by sitting here? My apologies.”
“No, it’s fine.”
The regular gave a brief reply and lowered his head back into his book.
Seeing this, Lynette immediately began making coffee. In the Sepia Empire, coffee meant only a few basic types—sepiano, cappuccino, latte, espresso. Boldly, she placed an espresso and a caramel macchiato in front of Mason.
Since he was from the homeland of coffee, surely he had drunk more than most. Placing those cups before him felt like serving a dish to a gourmet critic.
“I didn’t come here for coffee, though.”
“But since you’re Sharon’s boyfriend, I’d feel bad letting you leave without trying. Please, at least have a taste.”
At the sight of espresso, which wasn’t even on the menu, Mason chuckled and drank it. The same espresso that had made Edgar’s face sour, Mason sipped, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly—then immediately drank the caramel macchiato.
After finishing both, he wore a meaningful smile.
“Sharon, since your boyfriend’s here, why don’t you clock out? The busy hours are over anyway.”
“There’s still an hour left in my shift.”
“But your boyfriend’s waiting. Go out, have a date, and head home.”
Of course, since they lived together, there was no risk of separating afterward. With a warm smile, Lynette sent Sharon and Mason off. Sharon, suddenly dismissed early, shot a sideways glare at Mason.
“I told you not to come, and yet you showed up…”
“Sorry. But knowing you wanted to work, I couldn’t help worrying.”
Clasping Sharon’s hand tightly, Mason led her toward a nearby park. Sitting down on a bench, he looked at her with a lifted corner of his mouth.
“How was Lynette’s coffee? I thought it was excellent.”
“Yeah, it was good.”
“Don’t just say it to be polite—tell me honestly.”
“It’s true. It was really good. Good enough to surpass the homeland of coffee itself. And the new drinks were pretty unique too.”
She had blended beans with a toasty aroma and good body, softening the burnt bitterness while enhancing sweetness. Even in Sepia, coffee like that couldn’t be found.
She had tasted coffee brewed by Sepia’s top masters, but compared to Lynette’s, theirs ranked several levels below.
“See? I told you Lynette makes the best coffee. She even adjusts the amount depending on the customer—that’s why everyone loves it.”
As Sharon praised Lynette endlessly, Mason gently stroked her hair that danced in the breeze. Who would’ve thought—she had once sulked over someone else buying the café she wanted, only to end up working there.
He had told her she didn’t need to work, but Sharon had fallen too deep for coffee’s aroma to give it up. In the end, he let her work at Ikkeulim, though he still felt uneasy.
He worried endlessly that some man might fall for her and start following her. But Sharon, unaware of his concerns, went on and on about Lynette.
“Tomorrow, I’ll bring you a vanilla latte. You have to try it—it’s amazing.”
“Sharon, people might think you’re not learning coffee but just drinking it everywhere.”
“Lynette said to really learn coffee, you have to taste it first.”
As Sharon pouted adorably, Mason, unable to resist, gently pressed his lips to hers. Their kiss carried the fragrance of strong coffee. Embarrassed by the public eyes around them, Sharon quickly pulled back.
“Not here—when we’re at home…”
“Alright. By the way, you said the owner’s name was Lynette, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Just imagining you becoming a great coffee master after learning from her makes me happy. I’ll support you with whatever you need, so learn to your heart’s content.”
Nodding at Mason’s words, Sharon smiled sweetly and once again launched into stories about Lynette.
“Drinking the coffee Lynette makes always lifts my mood. She’s so generous she even gives free cups to the delivery people who come by.”
The Lynette-praise session began anew. But Mason didn’t stop her. He thought that if Sharon learned coffee brewed that way, even in Sepia she wouldn’t be looked down on. After all, his family was obsessed with coffee.
And for someone like Lynette, in this barren land for coffee, to brew flavors that perfectly suited his refined taste buds—it was remarkable.
“By the way… did I ever mention I was from Sepia?”
“No. I didn’t even tell her I had a boyfriend.”
“Then… is espresso something they sell here? I didn’t see it on the menu earlier.”
“That concentrated drink in the little cup? Since I started working here, we’ve never sold it.”
At her words, Mason’s smile deepened. Sharon hadn’t revealed his identity, so how did Lynette know? The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was—Lynette had realized he was from Sepia and purposely served espresso.
“Well now… this owner. How did she know to serve espresso? She’s something else.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing. Just saying Miss Lynette makes really great coffee.”
Realizing he had muttered aloud, Mason quickly covered it with another compliment.
“Make sure you learn properly from her. That taste can’t even be found in Sepia.”
“Mm, I will. Definitely.”
Clenching her fists with determination, Sharon smiled brightly at Mason. Holding her hand, Mason hurried home with her. Oddly, that night the house was already dark, as if the lights had gone out earlier than usual.
❅
“Since it’s raining today, I doubt we’ll have customers. I’ll teach you how to make coffee properly.”
“Yes!”
Sharon had come early to prepare, but because of the heavy rain, no customers showed up. Just watching the downpour felt awkward, so when Lynette spoke, Sharon perked her ears like a rabbit.
“First, we roast the beans. I’m not great at explaining, so just watch closely.”
“Yes!”
Sharon swallowed nervously as she watched the beans roast. Soon, a fragrant aroma rose in the air.
“Ahh… it smells amazing.”
“Sometimes, when there are no customers, I roast beans like this to lure them in with the scent.”
“Oh, I see!”
She quickly jotted notes into the notebook in her apron.
Jingle-jingle—
Just as the roasting ended, the door rattled with the sound of the wind chime. Perhaps a customer? But the door didn’t open all the way. Thinking it was just the wind, Lynette moved on to grinding the roasted beans. Then, again, came the sound of the chime.
“Must be the stormy wind.”
Glancing outside, Lynette frowned. The branches outside were still. If there was wind strong enough to shake the door, they should’ve been moving. She quickly opened the door.
Nothing.
Maybe it had just been a sudden gust localized here. She was about to close the door—when something brushed around her ankle. Cold, damp, and sticky. Looking down, Lynette’s eyes widened.
“A cat?”
A young cat, not yet fully grown, looked up at her with pleading eyes. Lynette frowned. It was filthy, clearly stray.
“Lynette, what is it?”
“Seems the cat tried to push the door open.”
Its wet paws must have pressed against the door, rattling the chime.
“Oh dear.”
Sharon rushed over from where she’d been grinding coffee. The poor, shivering creature looked pitiful.
“What should we do?”
“Hmm… I suppose we should bring it inside first.”
Seeing the drenched golden fur and dark eyes, Lynette picked the cat up and carried it into the shop.
“Looks like a stray.”
“Seems so. We should probably wash it with warm water.”
At her words, Sharon quickly boiled water. Mixing it with cold to make it just right, Lynette bathed the kitten. Normally a cat would resist wildly, but this one only trembled silently. After washing, she dried it thoroughly with a towel and set it before the fireplace.
Soon, the fluffy tabby curled up and fell asleep.
“Oh my goodness, it’s so cute.”
Clasping her hands together, Sharon was utterly smitten. Peeking up from her coffee, Lynette smiled softly at the sight.
The little one, covering its eyes with pink paw pads, looked like an angel in sleep. When it finally woke, it toddled over to Lynette, rubbing its head against her ankle.
“Are you hungry, little one? Sadly, this isn’t a restaurant, so I’ve got nothing for you.”
“Mew. Meeew.”
Meeting those wet, imploring eyes, Lynette clutched at her chest—her heart weakening.
“Sharon, I’ll step out for a bit. Please watch the shop.”
Leaving Sharon in charge, Lynette hurried to a butcher shop and bought chicken. After boiling it, she placed it down, and the kitten devoured every last bite.
“So adorable… but are you going to send it away?”
“Hm, I don’t know yet.”
As she wavered, the kitten leapt into her lap, curled into a ball, and closed its eyes.
“Oh my, it seems to have accepted you as its owner, Lynette.”
“I doubt that.”
Petting the fur, Sharon laughed sweetly. Just then, the chime rang again. Sharon rose to greet the customer—it was the regular, umbrella in hand.
Seeing him, Lynette gently set the kitten on a soft chair and offered him a towel.
“Here, dry off first. The rain’s heavy—thank you for coming.”
“I always keep my word.”
Though he hadn’t brought his friend, the regular had kept his routine visit. Taking his order, Lynette began steaming milk, then paused—suddenly wanting to try something. She poured with extra care.
Sharon’s eyes went wide. She gasped over and over.
“T-this isn’t just coffee—it’s art! I’ve never seen anything like it.”
While Sharon gushed, Lynette quietly set the cup before the regular. He, too, stopped in surprise.
“A cat.”
In the cup was a three-dimensional latte art cat, peeking out with its face and paws.
“I was chosen as a cat’s owner today. This is in commemoration.”
“Ah! Then if I’m chosen too, will I get something like this?”
